The Ripped Paper of Truce, Lies, and Hurt
by The New Ace of Spies
Summary: What happened when Luke, under a flag of Truce, went to Annabeth's house? How did Annabeth react? The moment that could have changed the course of the Great Prophecy. LukabethOne-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Boredom is a horrible thing. Ah well. Anyway, this is a one shot about when Luke met up with Annabeth before he became Kronos. Also, Annabeth's POV.  
**

It was a sunny spring day. I was sprawled on the red fluffy couch, reading (of course!) on Ancient Greek architecture. My little step-twin-brothers, Matthew and Bobby, had left all their Lego pieces sprawled all over the living room the house was quiet, as for my family had gone off to get ice cream at the nearest Ben & Jerry's store. But personally, I'll admit it, ice cream isn't my favorite thing. I would prefer reading than going to a crowded store that probably had toxic chemicals in the air.

"Annabeth no watching T.V. or going on the computer! And do not open the door to anyone!" My dad, Frederick Chase, called out in his aviator cap and goggles. He grabbed the keys from the peg near the brightly colored blue door.

"I know," I said, a bit annoyed, but my head was spinning with excitement. See, our family is a bit chaotic at sometimes. And now, I could finally read in peace with no annoying brothers screaming in my ears.

My step-mother smiled at me, her jet black red highlighted hair in a pink headband. I found myself smiling back. This was probably the first time she had _ever _smiled at me, so why shouldn't I take the opportunity to enjoy her? Like Athena would say, keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer! But maybe she wasn't enemy. Maybe.

"See you, Annabeth!" One of the twins yelled as they bounded out the door and into the new red Mercury my dad had gotten. Boy, I wouldn't be missing _them_.

"And one more thing," my dad said, his eyes serious. "Do _not _play with my battlefield. If I catch you–"

"I know," I sighed, impatient for them to get out. "Grounded for a month. No books or anything." My dad smiled kindly.

"Very good. See you, Annabeth!" He and my step-mother stepped outside. My dad shut the door quietly and I heard the lock go _click!_

I bounced on to the couch as soon as I heard the car roll out of the driveway. I grabbed the thick volume on the structure of Greek architecture that laid on the brown marble coffee table and made myself comfortable. I opened the volume to the bookmark on the page. The bookmark was actually a picture of Percy and I, which I used as a bookmark for safe keeping.

I stared at the picture for sometime, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. I couldn't believe I actually kept a picture of my guy friend and me as a bookmark. How silly.

I shook my head and started to read chapter six of my book, the chapter on columns.

My mind wandered to my Architect Mode as I read five chapters. I stood up, and went to go turn on the A.C., gods it was hot.

I went back and got settled in a different position so that the cool air was in my face.

Suddenly, I heard the doorbell ring. I jumped up, my book slipping onto the wooden floor. It made a loud noise as it collided with the floor.

"Oh Hades!" I muttered under my breath. So much for pretending no one was in the house. I reach for my celestial bronze knife, which lay on the coffee table and edged toward the nearest window with shades. I peeked under the shades.

At first, I only saw the flowers in the yard. But as I looked toward the side of the door, I saw someone.

There was a boy, about twenty one with sandy blond hair. He had blue eyes and a scar running down his left cheek.

I gasped. I only knew one boy who had a scar running down his cheek.

"Luke," I whispered, scared. Last Christmas, he had tried to recruit Thalia into the Titan Army. Now he wanted me. Or so I assumed.

And that is how I came to doing the stupidest thing in my life.

I opened the door for him.

I know, how stupid. But I was shocked. One, that he knew where I lived and two, he actually had the nerve to come here. How dare he?

I gripped my knife with my left hand as I opened the door with my right. I know, I was disobeying my dad.

"Annabeth," Luke said. His blue eyes looked pained.

"Luke," I hissed. I crouched in a defensive position.

"I come under a flag of truce, Annabeth. I only want five minutes to talk. Please."

"What?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"May I come in?" Luke asked politely, and completely ignoring my question. He didn't wait for me to answer. "I don't carry any weapons, I swear," he insisted as he walked in and made himself comfortable on the couch. I groaned. I hope my family would stay long at the ice cream shop. Imagine what my dad would say if he found Luke in his house.

I sat across from him, my book on architecture was still on the floor.

"How are you, Annabeth?"

I didn't answer.

"Annabeth, listen," Luke started. His eyes wandered, probably analyzing every detail of the house. "Remember those times, when we ran away, with Thalia?"He asked calmly.

"Yes," I said, a mere whisper. The important memories flooded back to me. How they found me, when we went to May Castellan's house for supplies, losing Thalia...

"Annabeth, I want to run away, again. Forget... I ever joined the Titans. It's quite obvious Thalia now hates me, with her eternal girls club thing. But it could be just the two of us, just like the old times. Come on, Annabeth. You can't hate me. I don't hate you." My mouth dropped... Was he offering to run away again? To become friends? Haha. I hoped today was April Fools.

"What?" I said feebly.

"Forget the Great Prophecy. Forget the Titans and Gods. Lets run away and escape this treacherous world, Annabeth. Forget Percy!" He waited for my response, he fumbled with his fingers, obviously nervous. Forget Percy? The prophecy? My own mother? What a jerk, I would never do that. Liar. He would just take me to the Titan Army, _again. _Believe me, I learned my lesson once and I don't want to learn it twice. And that's how I came to do the most surprising thing yet.

I slapped him.

His fingers instantly went to the red mark now on his cheek that my hand had left.

"Annabeth?" Luke asked, his voice, scared.

"You want me to forget everything?!" I demanded of him, standing up, my hands on my hips. "You just want me to help you get out of this mess you got yourself in! Don't you DARE lie to me, Luke Castellan! You just want to take me back to your stupid Titan Army and kill me! Isn't that so?! And even if it isn't, why should I do this for you?! WHY?! NO WAY AM I DOING _YOUR _BIDDING, LUKE CASTELLAN!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs. As soon as I finished, I gasped and my hands went over my mouth. What had I done?

Luke glared at me, his hands trembling with anger. He jumped up.

"You don't know half of it, Annabeth! You don't know what _he _is going to do! He's going to use me like a stepping stone to take over the world! That's _exactly _how he's going to use me! And he's going to use me to become even MORE powerful! Don't lie, Annabeth! I know you don't want that!" He saw my bookmark and grabbed it and ripped it up. "A stepping stone!" The tiny pieces that was left of the photograph fluttered to the floor. Luke started to pant, he looked scared. Very scared.

"What do you mean, Luke?" I asked, nervous. The stepping stone thing did not sound good.

But he was on a roll. "KILL ME! Because your going to have to fight me sooner or later!" His eyes looked murderous, and for a second, I thought they were gold. I shook my head, just my imagination. Just my imagination.

"Luke," I said calmly, trying to settle him down. "Things have changed. Running away isn't going to convince me to join the Titan Army. Never, Luke."

"It isn't for the Titan Army! It's for real!"

"Liar!" I shouted at him, losing my control.

"You might as well fight me now, because it's the last chance you'll get Annabeth," Luke snarled. I bit my lip. I couldn't kill Luke. That was like suicide.

"No," I said. "No," I repeated.

Luke flinched.

"Then goodbye, Annabeth!" He stormed out of the door, slamming it behind him.

I ran up to the door and stuck my head out.

"Is that it Luke?! Do you want to die?!" He didn't turn back around to answer me. Instead he started to run, faster and faster.

"Luke wait!" I cried. I stared at the place he was seconds ago, processing what had just happened. I wanted to run after him, and try to convince him that Hermes _did _love him. It was always how I imagined it, Luke coming to my house and I convincing him the gods are good. Then we could live a happy life. But no. Heroes don't get happy endings. Just like my bookmark.

"Silly Annabeth," I mumbled. I locked the door and sat back down on the couch.

My hands trembled as I tried to pick up my book, trying to forget everything. But the book slipped from my hand, leaving a ripped page in my fingers. I gasped, trying not to cry. I tried taking deep breaths in and out but it only came as sobs.

The tears started to drip down my cheeks, faster and faster. I bit my lip, hoping they would stop, but it was useless. I gave up and let them fall on the ripped page at a fast pace. No. He wasn't gone. No.

I wailed and ran up the stairs. I slammed the bathroom door behind me, crying. I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were puffy gray and my cheeks were red. I looked like a thin tomato, my honey blond hair was stuck to my tan skin. I took shaky breaths but the tears gave in again. I buried my head in my hands and tried to calm myself down.

I heard the lock open but I didn't go to greet my family. I was a mess. I stared at the paper ripped out, a paper with nothing written on it. A paper that was still eligible to carry the words of today.

"Annabeth?" My step-mother asked. "We got you a pint of cookie dough!" Oh gods. She knew cookie dough flavor was my favorite. But I didn't want it now. I heard footsteps run in the living room, the twins without a doubt.

The adults were silent for a moment, while the twins started playing with their Legos.

"Annabeth?!" My dad called out, worried. "Annabeth!" I opened the door slowly, tears still streaming down, and I slumped down the staircase.

"Annabeth!" My dad called out with relief. He strode forward but stopped when he saw my face. "What's wrong?" I started to cry even harder and ran into his arms. He patted me on the back.

"What happened, Annabeth?" He looked at my fingers, which still held the ripped page, my ripped heart. "Oh. I understand, Annabeth." I shook my head and sobbed.

"No. No you don't, Dad."

**So... Did you like it? Sad? I have the book in my hands right now... Reviews are love!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Last chapter, about how... You'll see.**

I stared at a picture that I had just nailed to a blue wall in my room from my boarding school in New York; A picture of Luke and me. I shook my head, starting to make my bed. The pink cover was nice and warm from the laundry and the flower shaped green pillows were nice and fluffy.

_He's gone. He's dead. You had your chance, but you didn't take it._ A strange voice said. It was sad, sneaky, and angry.

"Who are you?" I asked.

_I am guilt. And Luke is gone._

"No," I murmmered. "He isn't gone."

I was being so silly. When you're dead, you're dead!

Memories flooded back to me. Luke had sacrificed himself, for _me. _The promise that changed everyone's life and destiny. But he didn't have to. Oh why could I be so stubborn?!

_Maybe, if I went with him in San Fransisco... _The voice mimicked. I sighed. The maybe assumptions bugged me all the time. It got so annoying. After all, we all had many paths to choose from.

Finishing my bed, I turned toward my desk, which had sketches piled on top of it. The floor, where there was an orange run, also had paper balls all over the place. I groaned. The staff members wouldn't accept such a mess.

Who knew being Official Architect of Olympus could be so hard? I laughed quietly, remembering the moments when my mother announced my new job. I had been so proud. But this was real, not the dream I had been dreaming of since I was seven.

I sat down on a wooden chair and started to organize the sketches into piles.

"Hey," said a voice, way too familiar. I frowned, trying to place that voice.

"Already forgotten about me?"

_Argh! _Where did I know that voice?!

"It's only been a few months since I died!" I gasped, turning around.

"L-Luke?!" I asked, astounded.

A boy stood there, he had his arm crossed over his chest and his feet was tapping the ground, though it didn't make a single sound. His sandy blond hair was neat and to a side, though I wonder how a ghost did that. His form was made our of mist. His face had a scar running down his left cheek and his eyes had a twinkle in them.

But it was the same Luke.

"You know only one Luke, right?"

I laughed. "Yeah." We both stood silent for a moment, treasuring this rare moment.

Finally, Luke spoke up.

"Annabeth, are you still upset you didn't listen to me?" I looked at him sadly. He looked like his usual self, at least when he hadn't turned evil. The problem was, he was dead.

"I-I'm sorry, Luke. I didn't realize you were telling the truth I–" Tears started to form in my eyes. Luke held his hand up so I could stop.

Guilt is a horrible thing.

"Annabeth don't say that. You saved us all, not Percy. You." A tear rolled down my cheek. "Annabeth don't cry!" Luke cried. I took a shaky breath. It seemed as if he had died yesterday, not months ago.

"I-I can't help Luke." Tears were spilling down at a rapid pace. "Every... Every time I think, y-you could have still been alive. And maybe we could have found another way to kill Kronos. And–"

"Annabeth stop!" Luke yelled. He took a deep breath, as if the wound still hurt. Yet there was no wound. He was dead.

"It was my destiny, and you know it!" I buried my head in my hands, sobbing.

"Everything–"

"Annabeth look at me," I obeyed him, gently removing my head from my hands and looked up at him. Luke stared at me calmly. "Annabeth, I'm gone and you know it. I'm trying for three lives. Maybe we'll be together in one." I sighed.

"But Luke you know I love Percy–"

"As brother and sister. I'm sure the gods would grant us that. Like you said, you love me as a brother." I wiped a tear with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

"That would be nice."

Luke laughed. "I know."

"Luke, you're gone," I said, trying to grab his hand, but the mist evaporated when I came close.

Luke shook his head.

"No, Annabeth. My body is gone, but my sacrifice will live on. Do me a favor Annabeth?"

I nodded rapidly, wanting to let the guilt on my shoulders leave.

"Anything!" I cried.

"Make sure I'm remembered. Please," he looked at me pleadingly. "Make sure people know about my legacy. That day in an Fransisco. Make sure, Annabeth."

I felt as if the guilt was slowly lifting off my shoulders. But it wasn't.

"Yes, Luke. I-I promise."

Luke smiled at me, and I saw the real Luke. The Luke who helped me when I was seven.

"Thank you. Remember me, Annabeth." He started to dissolve into a shower of gold sparkles.

"Luke!" I screamed. No. I had lost him twice and had learned my lesson. I wasn't going to let him leave again.

"Goodbye Annabeth..." His voice faded into the air as his body dissolved into gold sparkles, slowly blowing toward me. "I'm counting on you," he whispered faintly as he looked at me one last time. The blue eyes shining with trust. Then he completely dissolved.

I stood, frozen, watching the sparkles blow toward me, as if they were attracted toward me.

"Luke," I whispered, moistening my lips. "Luke."

I looked at my hands, which were red from being pressed to my forehead, hard.

Suddenly, my hands slowly started dissolve into gold sparkles.

"What?!" I asked. My body slowly faded away into gold sparkles as I screamed, "Stop! Stop!"

_Annabeth! Noooo! Argh! _Guilt screamed in my head. I couldn't breathe, this was it. I was going to die.

_Hello, _said a musical voice. _I am an Innocence. _

I sat up, slamming my head into my desk. I groaned and rubbed my forehead.

"Stupid Annabeth," I muttered.

I shook my head, cupping my hands. Nope. There weren't any gold sparkles in my blond hair.

I shook my head, my fuzzy vision returning to normal. I checked to make sure I had a body. Check. I wasn't dead. Check. And I was mortal. Check.

Suddenly I realized my position. I was crouched, in an uncomfortable position under my table. Ow.

I looked around, my room was clean. Well everything except my wooden desk, which was piled with stacks of papers. With difficulty, I crawled out of my desk and stood up. I sat on my chair as I sighed. I started to throw our papers in a metal wired trash can. I filed through some sheets, dumping some in piles. The others down the trash can.

I felt a jagged paper slice through my index finger. I put the stack of papers down and looked at my finger. It was crimson, with blood slowly seeping out.

"Oh Styx," I cursed. Thunder rumbled as I sighed and pulled the wretched paper out of the pile. Let's see if this paper was worth cutting my finger.

It actually was.

I gasped, realizing I knew this piece of paper. The paper had jagged edges around the left side, as if it was ripped from a book, and tear marks blotched all over it.

It was the paper I had ripped out, the day Luke had confronted me in San Fransisco.

I frowned, squinting at the paper. At the bottom, in tiny gold letters, was a sentence.

_Remember my legacy. I'm counting on you.  
_

I smiled, despite myself and tucked the paper under my favorite book. I would surely find it there later.

And as I continued to clean my room, I swear I heard Luke say,

"Thank you."

**Soooooooo. How do you like it? Is it nice? Crappy? Reviews please!**


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